Unemployment across the county has fallen by 420.

According to the Office for National Statistics, the number of people out of work and claiming benefit in Kent and Medway dipped to 30,576 in October.

In Medway, the total fell by 121 to 6,052 (3.6 per cent of the workforce). Across the rest of Kent, it dropped by 299 to 24,524 (2.8 per cent).

Nationally, the unemployment rate for the three months to September fell by 9,000 to 2.45 million. The claimant count for the month to October 14 fell by 3,700 to 1.47 million.

While the latest figures appear encouraging, they were recorded before the impact of deep public spending cuts and expected local council layoffs.